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Netanyahu-Trump “peace plan”

Coventry City of Peace

This statement by Lakhdar Brahimi was originally published on 4 March. Lakhdar Brahimi is an Algerian diplomat who served as the United Nations and Arab League Special Envoy to Syria until 14 May 2014.

Last month, The Elders marked thirty years since Nelson Mandelawas released from imprisonment by South Africa’s apartheid regime: we looked back on sharedmemoriesof our courageous founder.

Mandela dedicated his life to a determined struggle against domination, injustice, and inequality. He had a deep understanding of, and faith in, the value of international cooperation and multilateral action to face complex challenges.

Unfortunately, we have seen clear examples of the follies of an unequal and undemocratic approach to international policymaking in the past month, including the so-called “Deal of the Century” for theIsraeli-Palestinian conflictunveiled by US President Donald Trump at the White House.

The Elders aredeeply concernedby the nature and implications of this plan which is imbalanced, destabilising and unworkable.

As was clearly seen during its presentation, this was a joint Netanyahu-Trump plan to address the two men’s respective difficulties with the law and electoral ambitions, not the Palestinian question.

As Prime Minister Netanyahu said, the plan “was for immediate implementation, whether the Palestinians accepted it or not”.

It seems likely that Prime Minister Netanyahu will continue in office following the most recent Israeli election, but this does not alter the fundamental realities of the conflict, which are rooted in injustice, dispossession and disdain for rights and law.

A two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, which can deliver rights, justice and security to Israelis and Palestinians alike, remains the most effective way to bring true, much-needed peace to the region.

All UN Security Council members and other key actors, including the European Union and the Arab world, need to re-engage in the hard work for a durable and just peace.

At the same time, The Elders salute the courageous civil society organisations on both sides of the Green Line who still adhere to the principles of peace, justice and reconciliation despite the harassment and pressure they face daily.

We also remain convinced that dialogue is the only way to defuse tensions and promote peace across the Middle East.